


Grounded

by Zoya113



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: F/M, Father figure hidgens, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22015942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya113/pseuds/Zoya113
Summary: Emma gets grounded
Relationships: Emma Perkins & Henry Hidgens, Paul Matthews/ Emma Perkins
Comments: 2
Kudos: 74





	Grounded

“Grounded?” Emma’s jaw dropped. 

“Yes,” Hidgens spluttered. “Grounded! You heard me!” 

“Yes I heard you but- grounded!? I’m thirty!” Emma put a hand to her forehead. “What are you grounding me from? I don’t even live here!” She was at an absolute disbelief, how was she supposed to react? 

“Well, you’re grounded!” Hidgens repeated himself. “Because you didn’t listen to me!” 

“Didn’t listen to you? Hidgens, I’m an adult!”

“I told you if you were going to go to that college party you had to be home by one, and Paul said you didn’t get home until two!” 

“So what!?” Emma gaped. “I can go to a party if I want to! It didn’t hurt anyone!” 

“Well look how tired you were in class today! I think I was more than fair with my times, you don’t even know those people!”

“Well I could’ve if you let me stay!” She fired back. 

“Don’t talk back to me, you’re grounded!” He countered.

Emma was almost nonplussed. “Uh!” She waved out. Hand because she couldn’t think of what to say. “You tell me I need to make more friends!” She stammered. “How can I make more friends if I can’t stay at parties!” 

“I was very worried something could’ve happened to you! Those sorts of fraternity parties can be dangerous!” The worst part of the fight was that neither of them knew how to proceed. They weren’t really angry at each other, just shocked. “Don’t argue with me, miss Emma!” He snapped, even though she had said nothing. “Grounded for one week!” 

Emma let her jaw drop. “Hidgens! This is so unfair! What am I grounded from!?” 

He needed a second to think because he hadn’t thought that far ahead. “You’re grounded from going to any more parties this week.” 

“That’s fine!?” Emma gave an exaggerated shrug. “I wasn’t going to anymore parties! It was a one time thing Hidgens!” She stamped her foot, balling up her fists. “Get over it!” 

“Well you’re grounded from staying out past ten then!” He corrected himself. “And you’re grounded from bringing Paul coffee while he’s at work! You need to make up for the class you fell asleep in!” He crossed his arms so she knew he was being firm about it. “And that’s final.”

“How are you going to even enforce that!?” 

“Well I have enough trust in you to know you’ll follow my rules!” He tilted his chin up, shutting his eyes. 

Speechless, Emma just gasped. He was really going to play the trust card? He knew she wouldn’t disobey him now. She let out a groan, tossing her head back. “You are so unfair, dad!” 

Hidgens blinked open one eye, he had to try and fight back a grin and when Emma saw him doing that, so did she. “Well those are just my rules, my child,” he told her, lowering his voice down from its shout but stifling a laugh. 

“Well I think they’re dumb rules,” she snorted. They could never argue for long, and nothing was going to stay hostile when they started throwing around the family names. 

“Well as dumb as they are, I’m your father.” 

Emma rubbed her hand over her eyes for an excuse to dip her head to hide her smile. “Ugh!”

“You made the choice to join this family so you have to follow the rules that come with it. And that means following a curfew.” He couldn’t make his voice firm anymore. “Alexa,” he called to her instead to turn his eyes away from her smile so he didn’t break any further. “Alexa, Emma is grounded! Make a note of that!”

Alexa beeped, she didn’t understand that. 

It made both of them chuckle, but they were both too concerned with covering up their laughs to notice the other laughing too. 

“Fine, I’ll follow your rules but I think they’re stupid! I can catch up on that class in like, one day!”

“Don’t make me ground you for longer!” Hidgens warned, making Emma shut up. 

She pursed her lips shut with a muffled growl. “I’m going to my room until Paul comes to pick me up!” 

“Well give me a hug goodnight first!” He made the order with open arms. 

Emma raced up to wrap her arms around him tightly. “Goodnight! Thank you for having me over for dinner!” 

“Thank you for keeping me company!” He yelled back. They were just mock fighting now. The point of the argument was long lost. 

Emma made a show of stomping her feet and slamming her bedroom door so he could hear she was indeed still mad at this unjust punishment. 

But behind closed door she could admit she was eating it up. This was the first time he had ever grounded her, and he had done it out of worry. It felt good to know she wasn’t really in trouble, and in a weeks time he would trust her to go to another party again if she so wanted. There was no guilty party, and no hurt feelings.

Similarly, Hidgens had liked it a little bit too, even the resistance. It made the both of them feel like a normal family. Hidgens was just a father trying to control his rebellious daughter, except without the real fighting. It was so much the opposite really, none of that ‘I wish you weren’t my dad!’ Stereotype shouting, because every bone in Emma’s body wished he really was. He knew Emma was going to obey his silly rules, even if he didn’t hold her to it, he had set them so they wouldn’t inconvenience her at all. 

Emma sat on her bed, kicking her legs. She really wanted to just go back down to the living room to watch some TV because any shock or anger from their argument had already completely dissipated, but they were playing a game now and they both knew it. 

They were like two children playing family, it was innocent and harmless. And right now Emma was the daughter who was too mad at her dad to talk to him, only until Paul got there anyways. 

“Emma, Paul is here!” Hidgens called out from downstairs when their car pulled in. “And you better be in bed by ten, or else!”

She tried to put on a fake grimace when she walked past Hidgens to get the door but she couldn’t hold it, and broke out into a laugh. “Sorry for arguing with you, Hidgens.” 

The professor laughed too, finding it hilarious either of them had taken it so seriously. “I’m sorry for not trusting you Emma,” he came in to give her another hug. “You aren’t really grounded, I was just worried you weren’t going to be looking after yourself if I didn’t step in. I’m lifting the rules.”

“I’m looking after myself, promise,” she rested her head on his shoulder. “And it’s okay, I should have listened to your rules. I can be grounded, it’s alright.” She almost wanted to be. It was such a normal family staple, even if she had never actually met anyone who had been actually grounded. But it happened in the movies all the time, so that had to be a classic real-family move. 

“Well I won’t hold you to it,” he promised. “Try to catch up on the lecture and get some sleep tonight. You look like you need it.” 

Emma nodded. “I will, Hidgens. See you tomorrow!” She released herself from the embrace, running out to meet Paul. 

She opened up the passenger door and dumped her things on the floor before hopping up into her seat. 

“You look like you’re in a good mood,” he commented with a yawn. 

She nodded her head. “Yep. You’re looking pretty tired yourself though, what’s up?”

“Work was so busy today. We’re in the middle of this project we’re working on so we’re all a little tired,” he brushed his hair from his eyes. “Not too tired to drive though,” he added with a laugh. “Promise.”

“That’s good,” she put on her seatbelt as they pulled out. “Let’s get going, I need to be home by ten.”

“Oh, sure thing. You’ve got the opening shift tomorrow anyways don’t you?” He reminded her, his eyes rolling off the road briefly to rack his head for her schedule. 

“Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about that,” she tapped her forehead. “Thanks for reminding me.” 

“Because you’re working opening would you mind doing me a favour tomorrow?” His tone was curiously hopeful.

“Sure thing, what’s up?” 

“We have to get that project finished by the end of the day, so I don’t think I’ll be able to walk down and grab my coffee. Do you think you could drop it off for me on your break?” 

“Oh,” Emma winced. “Sorry, I can’t, actually.” 

“Huh?” That was the first time she had ever refused. “What’s up?” 

She gave him a laugh and a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, I’m grounded.” 

“Grounded?” Paul was just as shocked. “By Hidgens? Grounded from what?”

“I’ve got a ten o clock curfew all week, and I’m not allowed to bring you coffee while I’m at work.” 

“Oh, what?” He frowned. He didn’t get that last rule. “Now I feel like I’m the one being punished. How’s he gonna enforce it though? You can’t just sneak one down for me?” 

“Paul! I wouldn’t break Hidgens’ rules!”

“I know but, It’s Hidgens right? He doesn’t really mean it. He was probably just worried about you,” Paul tried not to whine. Emma could tell he hated getting by without his daily coffee, and it was already stressing him. 

“Yeah, but maybe just send Melissa down to grab one. I’m sorry, I won’t disobey Hidgens.” 

He pouted, taking one hand off the steering wheel to rest it miserably in his lap. “It’s Hidgens, Emma.” 

She nodded, free to stop hiding her smile. “Yeah, exactly. It’s Hidgens.”


End file.
